Thursday, March 01, 2007

IRAN: FRESH VIOLENCE REPORTED IN BALUCHISTAN

Tehran, 1 March (AKI) - Four Iranian security officials patrolling the border of the Baluchistan province between Iran and Pakistan in the city of Torbat were kidnapped and brought to an unknown area in Pakistan in an abduction claimed by an unknown separatist group called Vahedbakhsh Derakhshan, Iranian general Mohammad Ghaffari said on Thursday. Iran has formally asked Islamabad to find and free its soldiers.

A day before, Iranian security forces stationed in the area had been attacked by a more well known separatist group, Jundallah.

Baluchistan province, close to the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been at the centre of violent clashes between security officials and armed groups.

Most of the violence has been attributed on the Sunni group Jundallah, which was founded two years ago by Abdolmalek Righi. Jundallah has since its creation claimed responsibility for 20 attacks and kidnappings of many Pasdaran officials.

The Iranian government, which has blamed ethnic unrest in the southeast on Britain and the United States, accuses Righi and his militants of being "hired by foreign powers" to carry out attacks, funded by the US and in cooperation with Pakistan's intelligence.